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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26775172">Terms of Endearment</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainieva/pseuds/Rainieva'>Rainieva</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys In Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, French!Akira, French!Persona 5 Protagonist, Friends to Lovers, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Idiots in Love, Its not the boys i promise, Kinda, Let Sakamoto Ryuji Say Fuck, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Character Death, Pet Names, Protective!Ryuji, Self-Indulgent, Soft!Akira</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:22:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,334</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26775172</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainieva/pseuds/Rainieva</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>That sunny, August afternoon Ryuji found himself particularly antsy. With Medjed’s threatened D-Day fast approaching and no sign that the young hacker, Futaba Sakara, was waking up any time soon, he was compelled to stop by the hideout. It was still fairly early, and Akira had said that he was going to be helping the Boss in Leblanc today. If anything, fretting over their current situation over a plate of curry with the fearless leader of the Phantom Thieves was better than doing so alone in his room.</p><p>~~~</p><p>Or, Ryuji stops by Leblanc to get things off his mind but finds Akira in a rough state of affairs.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amamiya Ren/Sakamoto Ryuji, Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji, Persona 5 Protagonist/Sakamoto Ryuji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>129</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Terms of Endearment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don't think there are enough fics with French!Akira/Ren so I am here to provide! I mean, you can't give me a persona main with a French persona and not expect me to use my high school French classes for cute fic plot points. Hopefully you enjoy!</p><p>(Any French will be translated in the notes at the end of the work!)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>That sunny, August afternoon Ryuji found himself particularly antsy. With Medjed’s threatened D-Day fast approaching and no sign that the young hacker, Futaba Sakara, was waking up any time soon, he was compelled to stop by the hideout. It was still fairly early, and Akira had said that he was going to be helping the Boss in Leblanc today. If anything, fretting over their current situation over a plate of curry with the fearless leader of the Phantom Thieves was better than doing so alone in his room.</p><p>Ryuji approached the cozy cafe, the smell of coffee already invading his senses. With a chime of a bell, he pulled open the door. He was met with the familiar scene of empty booths and soft news reporters droning on in the background, however Akira’s back was turned to him, facing the inside of the cafe rather than working behind the counter as expected. He started to greet him but Akira’s raised voice stunned him to silence.</p><p>“Tu crois que je vais te croire?!”</p><p>He must have registered the sound of the bell ringing because Akira quickly spun around to see who had come in. His wide, surprised eyes seemed to mean he was expecting a customer. Only then did Ryuji notice the bright yellow landline phone pressed to his right ear. Akira muttered something under his breath before slamming the phone back on it’s receiver. He then turned to Ryuji, his usually soft smile back to normal. </p><p>“Ryuji! I’m sorry, can I make you some coffee?” He offered, swinging around to the other side of the counter and already preparing the cup.</p><p>Ryuji mumbled a response, taking one of the bar seats, watching Akira work with furrowed eyebrows. Akira knew full well that Ryuji didn’t drink coffee. Still, when the barista placed the cup in front of him, he took a small sip, poorly hiding his distaste for the bitter drink. Seeming to realize his mistake, Akira's eyes widened and he started to apologize before Ryuji stopped him.</p><p>“‘S fine, dude. Ya sure you’re doing okay, though?” He asked, putting the cup down, refusing to take another drink. </p><p>For a split second, Ryuji saw Akira’s mask crack. Pain, sadness, anger, and regret flashed in his dark eyes, startling the blond. The moment ended quickly, soft smile and blank eyes returning to the boy’s unusually pale face.</p><p>“Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>Ryuji would have just left it alone if he hadn’t seen him crack like that. Of course he knew their leader wasn’t as fearless as he presented but he was always able to keep it hidden. Ryuji almost respected the strength it took. He was always told how he wore his emotions on his sleeve and it often got him into trouble. This time, he had to say something.</p><p>“What were you yelling about?”</p><p>Akira’s face remained still and blank, watching the bubbling coffee siphon on the counter.</p><p>“Ya don’t ever yell like that. Well, ‘cept in the Metaverse but even then...” Ryuji paused, gauging the other teen’s reactions - however small they may be. “That wasn’t Japanese. Or even like, English.”</p><p>At that, Akira grimaced, his jaw tightening like a spring. Ryuji leaned forward on the bar, trying to get a better look at the other boy’s face. His lips were pressed into a tight line, brows pulled together and tense, almost quivering under the other’s scrutinizing gaze. After a long silence, Akira carefully glanced back at the former runner. The pain was evident and the leader’s mask was slowly crumbling.</p><p>“You don’t have to talk or anythin’, but I’m here if ya need to.”</p><p>Akira sighed heavily, resigning to a bar seat next to the blond. Ryuji realized just how tired the Leader of the Phantom Thieves must be. He sat quietly, trying not to pressure him too much.</p><p>“You’re right. It was French.” He said finally, as if it was obvious.</p><p>“French?” Ryuji questioned.</p><p>Akira sighed again. “It’s a bit a long story but my mom is Japanese and my dad is French. My dad lives overseas so it was my mom that approved my transfer out here.”</p><p>Ryuji noticed Akira’s shoulders slumping as his story went on. </p><p>“Well, my mom… died recently.”</p><p>Ryuji sat stunned, unsure of how to even begin to help his friend. He understood having a deadbeat dad but he couldn't imagine losing his mom. Akira’s body was stiff and rigid, his face still locked in that painful grimace Ryuji had grown to dislike. Nothing should ever make Akira look like that when his smile instilled so much confidence in him.</p><p>“My dad wants me to move to France with him but I--” Akira’s arms were shaking and his hands clutched Ryuji’s discarded coffee mug.</p><p>Ryuji, compelled to move by the leader’s vulnerability, reached around the other boy, enveloping him in a tight hug. He could feel Akira stiffen in surprise beneath him but the shaking didn’t stop - much to Ryuji’s dismay.</p><p>“I-I don’t want to leave. I can’t. We have so much to do, I--”</p><p>Ryuji felt hot tears on his neck and a stab of pain ripped through his chest. He instinctively pulled the other boy in tighter, fearing he might break.</p><p>“You don’t got to go anywhere. I’m sure Boss doesn’t mind.”</p><p>Akira’s trembling seemed to slow, as well as the flow of tears, thanks to Ryuji’s words and he wrapped his arms around the blond, returning the hug. They stayed like that for a while, just letting the transfer student be weak for once, before he felt the other boy start to release him.</p><p>“I-- The Phantom Thieves… I couldn’t even if I-” Akira’s voice cracked and Ryuji watched all of the complicated emotion he’d gotten a glimpse of earlier settle into the deepening lines of his face.</p><p>“He can’t do a thing to ya. He can’t make ya do anythin’ either.”</p><p>“But he’s technically my-- and my probation-”</p><p>“I won’t let ‘im.” Ryuji gripped the other teen’s shoulders tightly, as if trying to press the raging emotions he was feeling into his skin.</p><p>Akira sat wide eyed in shock. His eyes seemed to search Ryuji’s determined look for discrepancies. After a minute, Akira’s eyes grew glossy and heavy tears pooled on his dark eyelashes. Startled, Ryuji’s determination gave way to worry and he raised his hands to the leader’s cheeks, carefully brushing his thumbs along them to push the pain away with the tears.</p><p>“Merci, mon rayon de soleil.” Akira whispered, leaning into Ryuji's touch.</p><p>Ryuji raised an eyebrow. “Ya gonna tell me what that means?”</p><p>A soft laugh huffed through the remnants of the bespectacled boy’s tears. He looked up with a look of fondness that wasn’t there before.</p><p>“Thank you, my ray of sunshine.” Akira translated, earning the deep flush of blush that emerged on the blond’s cheeks and spread to his ears and neck.</p><p>Akira, thoroughly amused, leaned forward to rest just next to Ryuji’s ear.</p><p>“Mon coeur, ma moitié, mon trésor, mon bonheur et ma raison de vivre,”</p><p>A shiver ran down Ryuji’s spine like electricity, lighting up every nerve in his body. His hands hovered in the air next to the two of them, having let go of Akira’s face as he had gotten closer. Ryuji felt like he was on fire and he was sure his face was just as hot to match. Akira retreated a bit with a cheeky chuckle, seeming to know exactly what he was doing.</p><p>“And that?” Ryuji almost squeaked out.</p><p>Akira just smiled and leaned forward, connecting their lips. Ryuji’s breath hitched but quickly melted in the kiss, resigning to placing his hands on the other boy’s neck and shoulder. With the new leverage, he pulled the other in deeper, feeling a hand lace it’s fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. Albeit hesitantly, they separated, eyes lidded is passion.</p><p>“French is kinda hot.”</p><p>That had Akira bursting into laughter before pressing another almost chaste kiss to the blond’s lips.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alternitive Working Title: French is Kinda Hot. (I'm not even joking, lol) </p><p>“Tu crois que je vais te croire?!” ("You expect me to believe that?!")<br/>“Mon coeur, ma moitié, mon trésor, mon bonheur et ma raison de vivre,” ("My heart, my other half, my treasure, my happiness, my reason for living,")</p><p>How'd you like it? Akira listing off pet names and making Ryuji all blushy makes me weak. Tell me I'm not the only one lol.<br/>Comments and kudos are always appreciated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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